Railroad-track-scale constrttction



R. N. MILLER.

RAI'L ROAD TRACK SCALE CONSTRUCTION.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 14, I920.

4, 1922.v SHEET I- Apr.

H E ET 3 Patented R. N. MILLER. RAILROAD TRACK SCALE CONSTRUCTION.

APPLICATION FILED SEPTA 14, 1920- Patented Apr. 4, 1922.

3 SHEETSSHEET 2.

R. N. MILLER. V RAILROAD TRACK SCALE CONSTRUCTION.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 14, I920- Pd tnted Apr. 4, 1922.

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. UNITED STATES PATENT oF lcEf.

. Ronnm 1v. M1LnnR,'-or ALroomi, PENNSYLVANIA.

Specification of Letters Patent.

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Patented Apr .4,1922.

Application filed September 14,1920; SerialNo. 410,171.

' T 0 (L12 whomz't may concern: i

ing the entrance of water, dirt, grit and other foreign matter into the vault in which the scale mechanism is located.

In a track scale construction which has beenil ound in practice to .be generally satisfactory, the scale mechanism is. located in a i vault which is covered by a stationary deck to protect the scale mechanism from dirt, grit, snow, ice and rain water, all of which would tend to destroythe accuracy of the scales, and to prevent the escape ofheatedair from the vault which, in winter time, is often provided with artificial heating means. Inasmuch as the running rails are neces sarily positioned above the deck, apertures must be made therein to receive rail supporting columns, the lowerends oi which are upper ends of which engagethe base of the mounted ont'the scale mechanism and the rails and it is desirableto provide means for preventing'the entrance of water, dirt, etc. through these openings and around the rail supporting, columns.

improved means for preventing the entrance of such foreign matter into the vault down draft from above the deck into the vault prevented; and chimney action or the es cape of heated air from the vault dampened. In addition to these objects further objects of the invention are; to provide means of the -haracter described which may be quickly and easily placed in position or removed and which will notinterfere with the attachment or removal of: the rail columns from above the deck; which will allow the ready inspection or cleaning of the cavity around the rail column in which the foreign matter is caught and retained; and which is simpler, more easily manufactured, less expensive, and generally more satisfactory than such means heretoforedesigned or suggested. The invention will be fully disclosed in the following description when taken with the accompanying drawing in which:

being omitted the rail supporting columns. invention provides means for preventing such water and foreign material from enter [ing the vault and is much simpler in con- Figure 1 is a view showing vertical elevation in full andin quarter section of a rail supporting column and one form of protectlve means made in accordance with this invention;

Figure2 is a plan view of the mechanism illustrated in figure 31 the rail securingmeans v Figure 3 is a cross section of the deck plate; M

. Figure 4: is a section on the. line 4+4 of figure 2; l f 1 v Figure 5 is a plan view of a modified form of deck, V f

Figureti is a sectionon the line 6-6 of figure 5. y p

In Patent 1,257 ,553, issued to Axel S. Vogt, February 26, 1918, a draining system for track scales is described, and this invention comprises an improvement; on the structure disclosed in the. patent mentioned. In the system'above mentionedmeans are providedfor'collecting and disposing. of the rain-water and foreign. material which enters the vault through the openings around The. present struction, ,less expensive ,to manufacture,

[more accessible andeasier to install and inspectthan the device illustrated in the pat- H ,ent mentioned. It'is the object of this invention to provide 7 In thedrawings a portion of a girder comprising a part of the scale mechanism is indicated at 10, a running rail at 11, and a rail supporting column. at 12, this column having its base mounted on the girder 10 and having the rail secured to its top by suitable bolts 13 and clamping blocks 14. The stationary deck which covers the vault is indicated at 15 and this deck is provided with an aperture 16 through which the rail column 12 extends. The rail column illus rated in the drawings is circular in cross section and an annular flange 17, formed in two similar portions, secured together by bolts 18 is fastened to the upper portion of the rail column, and extends downwardly therefrom. Secured to the stationary deck by means of bolts 19 is a deck plate 20 also formed in two equal half portions, which plate may be circular and is provided with an upwardly extending flange portion 20. The depending flange member 17 overhangs the the scale mechanism.

The diameter of the opening 16 in the stationary deck is such that the rail column may be easily inserted therethrough when the deck plate 20 is removed, and conveniently secured to the girder. The flange member 17 and the deck plate 20 being formed in halves may be quickly applied or removed. to inspect the cavity beneath the flange 17. The structure disclosedis simple, inexpensive and easy to manufacture and does away with the devices heretofore found necessary for collecting the water and dirt which enter the vault. It will be understood, of course, that in a track scale construction a number of rail supporting columns and a number of the protecting devices are employed although only one rail column and protecting device is shown in the drawings.

In applying the deck plate the two halves are each bolted to the deck with the'grooves 21 formed in the edge of one section lying parallel to the correspondingly shaped groove or recess 22 in the other portion, and the slot and grooves filled with a cement which prevents leakage of water between the halves and int-o the vault.

In Figures 5 and 6 a deck plate is illustrated which has two apertures for rail columns instead of a single aperture and this form of deck plate is used whenever two rail columns are to be placed close together. It obvious that still other forms of deck plates may be devised and also other forms of flanges which are secured to the rail columns and that the invention is not limited in its scope to the exact structure disclosed.

Having thus described the invention whatis claimed as new and. desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

l. In a track scale, the combination with a scale deck having openings, of: scale mechanism below the deck, running rails above the deck, rail columns carried by the scale mechanism extending through said openings and supporting said rails, and means for preventing the passage of water and foreign material through the openings around the rail columns comprising a downwardly ext-ending flange detachably secured tothe rail columns and plates removably secured, to the deck and having upwardly ex tending flanges forming battles with Said prising a plate secured to the deck and having an upwardly extending flange said plate being formed in sections detachably secured together, and a flange member secured to the rail column above the plate and overhanging the first mentioned flange, said flange member being also formed in sections detachably secured-together, the flange member and plate being readily removable to completely expose the opening around the rail column, for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

ROBERT N. MILLER. 

